Process for the production of caoutchouc substances.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRITZ HOFMANN AND CARL COUTELLR, OF ELBERFELD, GERMANY, ASSIGNORS TOFARBENIFABRIKEN VORM. FRIEDR. BAYER & CO., F EL BERFELD, GERMANY, A

CORPORATION OF GERMANY.

PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CAOUTCHOUC SUBST ANCRS.

No Drawing.

Substances, of which the following is a I specification.

Wehave discovered, that there are a number of oxygen containing organicsubstances, such as starch, urea, albumen (yolk or white of egg), bloodserum, glycerin or other compounds of a similar action, which againstall expectation favorably influence the polymerization of butadienehydrocarbons. such as butadiene, etc, and which are to be considered asequivalents for purposes of the present invention, caoutchouc substancesbeing in this manner obtainable even at ordinary temperature and thepresent invention relates to their manufacture and production bytreating butadiene having the formula:

H (in 'fully the following example is given, the

parts being by weight :100 parts of betagamma-dimethylbutadiene aremixed with 1-2 parts of wheat starch and the mixture is allowed to standfor some months in a closed vessel. A whitish solid caoutchouc substanceis thus obtained.- A whitish elastic caoutchouc substance can beobtained by treating in the same way a mixture of 500 parts of isoprenewith 540 parts of finelypowdered urea.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

Application filed October 3, 1911. Serial No. 652,641.

Alpha-methyl-butadiene, butadiene, alphaalpha-d1methyl-, betaropyl-,beta-isobutylbutadiene or the buta iene derivative of the formula:

may be used.

The claims of the: present application I relate to theprocess ofpolymerization using urea-or its equivalents. The process of productionof cao-utchouc' substances in which nitrogenous organic substances'trogenous oxygen-containing organic substances are used is claimed inour copending application, Serial No. 728,511 which is in part acontinuation of the present application. The process in whichpolyhydroxy organic substances such as starch are used is claimed in ourcopending application Serial N o. 7 28,510 which is also in part acontinuation of the present application.

We claim: y i

1. The process of producing a caoutchouc substance which comprisespolymerizing a butadiene hydrocarbon in the presence of urea.

2. The process of producing a caoutchouc substance which comprisespolymerizing a butadiene hydrocarbon in the presence of about 1 to 2 percent. of urea,

3. The process of producing a caoutchouc substance which comprisespolymerizing isoprene in the presence of urea. 1

4. The process of producing a caoutchouc substance which comprisespolymerizing isoprene in the presence of about 1 to 2'per cent. of urea.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

FRITZ HOFMANN'.

[n.s] CARL .COUTEL LE. [L.S.]

Witnesses: i l

L. NUFER Grins. J. WRIGHT.

and ni-

